my87

I have recently purchased two models described as circa 1930. The owner died some years ago. The models , and their associated bits wrapped in a local newspaper from 1979,  were consigned to the cellar. His widow died earlier this year and the models were destined for the skip, when one of the sons, now in his sixties remembers sailing these models ,as a young boy, with his father. Photos exist and are being searched out.

One model was identified as soon as I returned home. A model Sharpie ,therefore 1950 or later , identical to the one on your site at this moment, even to the colour of  the different timbers, lining on the deck and steering gear ,except  that I have a set of sails.

I have not seen anything like the other model however in my searches to date. I hope you  or other website browsers can shed some light on it.  

Details      Hull

            I am can not sure of the construction , unless, until or IF I remove the deck.

            Length  29 ½",  bowsprit adds another 8" ,  Beam 7"  ,

            Bottom of keel to deck 9 ½" , Weight 4.2lbs. ( 1.88 kgs. ) Bottom 1 ½" of the   keel is cast lead  screwed up into the timber 

A professional looking weighted rudder is attached. Pic. 3 shows a 42" mast with a full set of sails. Pic.4  shows a 33" mast with no jib .  Pic. 5, 25" mast with full set. Pic 8 another 25" mast no jib. And finally Pic. 9 a 16" mast with full set of sails. Pictures 5,8 & 9appear to me as Gaff ? Rigs.. All the masts are prepared at the foot in the same way suggesting that they all belong with this model. I apologise for my ignorance of the nomenclature, but I am a new boy at this There is a good reason for starting with these older models, but that is an even  longer story. 




VMYG Comment:

Thanks for your email and the photos of your boat.
 
I fear I'm not going to be very helpful. The boat appears to be a commercial toy, rather than a model built to a class Rule, though it is both big and sophisticated for a toy. It is just possible that it is home built, or at least that additional rigs have been made for it by the owner, particularly as one is a gaff rig. If I am right about date, the boat might well have been sold with a gaff rig and been up dated by her owner as bermuda rigs became more fashionable in the late 20s and 30s. It would be very unusual for a commercial toy to have as many rigs as this as an original outfit.
 
There were many companies, most of them short lived, that produced this sort of thing from the latter part of the 19th century through to well after WW II. I haven't seen one quite like this before, and I can't put a name to the maker. From the general style, I would date in to the interwar period and earlier rather than later. The rudder is, as you say, a commercial product, though going out of use, even for toys, by the time I think this boat was built. Bassett-Lowke and Stevens's each produced something very similar and there were probably other manufacturers of this sort of fitting.
 
I am copying this with our text and some of the photos to Trevor Smith, who has a wider knowledge of toy boats than I do.